Author Topic: Never Shot a Gun! (Read 4361 times)

Graybeard · « **Reply #30 on:** February 17, 2009, 12:46:07 PM »

I taught Faye to shoot handguns and rifles but was never able to get her interested in shotguns in spite of my long career in wingshooting competition. She entered one and only one rifle match after I taught her to shoot a .22 rimfire rifle. She took first place among the wives/girl friends of the guys who regular shot competition with me in those days. She won over my best friend's wife in a shoot off. He then won against me in the men's division. The four of us took first and second in the whole shebang that day.

She has also taken up hunting tho not seriously and has taken both small game and big game successfully. Should the need arise she is fully capable of defending herself and has had a CCW permit for many years. She has several of her own guns and is versed in the use of just about all here other than the ARs which are still kinda new around here.

bulletstuffer · « **Reply #31 on:** February 17, 2009, 01:06:21 PM »

Heather,

I have never met GB but would give odds he knows how to shoot

Bet he even might have a little more patience in this scenario too;D In general, I thinks it's that husband thing. I almost lost my arm while attempting to help my wife during a scuba course. She was having a little trouble with the thought of breathing underwater. I reached over to help her go under

That was close!

I was happy my wife wanted to learn to shoot. I thought it would be less painless than getting sewn into the sheets someday and getting beat with something. I try to stay on her good side

My wife has her carry permit now

Listen to GB, and shoot often

A little practice and off to the concealed carry class you go

Best wishes!

Bulletstuffer

Casull · « **Reply #32 on:** February 17, 2009, 01:26:45 PM »

Quote

Quote
Cause if you hesitate you risk having your gun taken away and used on you!

Not trying to pick a fight Randy, but that line drives me nuts. I hear the anti's using that all the time and it is BS. If you didn't have a gun and that same POS was intent on harming you, do you really think it wouldn't happen just because you didn't arm him?

No problem and no fight........Not an anti gun nut by a long shot, Who's to say what might happen in the heat of the moment, But if you poke a gun in an intruders face and you dont use it that is what might happen. MY point was not to deter someone from owning or learning to shoot, but to understand what drawing a gun means. You dont have to be an anti gun nut to understand that. Maybe he is gonna harm you anyway but he should not get your gun to do it with! I would not be in someones home in that position but the bad guy that would be may have the cahones to call your bluff or talk you out of using it until they can turn it against you. I have faced the business end of a firearm and I'm telling you what I know. A Texas Ranger long ago told me it is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. I am always willing to discuss anything with reasonable people .

Randy

I knew you didn't mean it in the manner of the anti's (and would certainly not try to color you as one of those SOB's). I've just heard anti's use that line way too many times, something to the effect that having a gun is more dangerous because a bad guy will take it away from you and shoot you. Well, if the bad guy has the balls to take your gun away, he would do serious damage to you with or without it. Personally, I'd rather have it.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #33 on:** February 17, 2009, 01:34:24 PM »

+1 ...............and be totally committed to using it.

We are of the same mind on that!

swordfish · « **Reply #34 on:** February 17, 2009, 01:36:14 PM »

Heather,
As with driving, it may be a good idea to have a trained outsider teach you. Sometimes it's better to learn from someone that is not your parent or spouse.
I think your reasons to learn are Noble and just.

Good luck,
Swordfish

torpedoman · « **Reply #35 on:** February 17, 2009, 01:42:17 PM »

Maybe matt plans on making you mad. My dad bought mom a 38 det.spec. and gave it to her and said "If i make you mad just shoot me" they were married over 50 yrs.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #36 on:** February 17, 2009, 02:37:57 PM »

I agree with Sourdough.
There has to be a shooting facility near by that will give you instruction. I think your husband will be a poor teacher for you. He may be NRA certified but would you want him to teach you to drive if you did not know how?
If you live near Northern CA I would be happy to let you shoot what ever you want to learn. I have taught a few of my friend wives to shoot. And have taught a few men how to shoot revolvers, Autos, and rifles.
Actually women are easier to teach and are generally better shots than men. Men have the preconceptions of shooting a gun from watching movies and playing war as kids.
If you are in Southern CA I can get a few of my friends to teach you.
Best to show up with your guns. It will not help you, if I teach you to shoot an auto in 9mm if you have a 38 revolver. or I teach you with a Colt and you have an S&W. Similar but different enough when it counts. And learning to shoot is like driving one you learn the controls you will need to practice.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #37 on:** February 17, 2009, 02:39:55 PM »

Marksmanship, IMO, is a discipline, very similar to your martial arts. In martial arts training, your instructor can show you all the moves, point out mistakes your making, but in the end, the student has to learn, mostly by repetition. If you really want to learn how to fight, then all the moves in the world won't help much against a person who fights regularly.

IMO, shootings much the same. If you want to be a good shot first you need to shoot.

As far as a Matt coaching you, it might shorten the process a bit, but you still have to go shoot.

So, there's the wrong way, the right way, the army way, the Graybeard way etc.

As far as "lessons" or "training" is concerned, hey, if that's the way you want to do it then go for it.

Quite Honestly Matt, while it's none of my business, I think Heather is trying to tell you she wants to spend some quality time with you doing something you love to do.......I could be wrong of course, but I don't think so...... maybe it's not so much about her as it is about you. That's a good problem to have my friend.

bulletstuffer · « **Reply #38 on:** February 17, 2009, 03:09:12 PM »

I have to second that last paragraph

Bulletstuffer

mechanic · « **Reply #39 on:** February 17, 2009, 03:19:57 PM »

Ms. Heather,

39 years ago I married a woman who had never shot a gun. I took her out, showed her how to operate and load a revolver, got behing her and said shoot the target. I never showed her how to aim, pull the trigger, or anything. She can outshoot me with a pistol.

I've found that most women are instinctively good shots. You probably will be the same provided you are not afraid of the weapon. Both my daughters were the same.

Even though my wife is a good shot, I provide her a shotgun, not a pistol for defense. Why? There is quite a bit more to shooting at a human in a bad situation, than popping off rounds at a target in a good situation.

Get a shotgun, learn how it operates, and which end to point. Only a drugged up fool will challenge a shotgun.

I vote you let Graybeard teach you to shoot. If hubby is reluctant, he probably wouldn't make a good teacher anyway.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #40 on:** February 17, 2009, 03:49:15 PM »

sure are a lot of people telling Matt not to get involved

no wonder he hasn't even posted here yet LOL

when do we start picking out your first gun?

?

smith and Wesson 640 0r 642 is what i recommend to anyone i teach or sell to
small enough to always be with you big enough to get a good grip.....enough power...very safe action
forget the double action /single action revolvers....they are unsafe and will interfere with you practice

Casull · « **Reply #41 on:** February 17, 2009, 04:05:04 PM »

Quote

forget the double action /single action revolvers....they are unsafe and will interfere with you practice

Huh!!!!!!!!! How in the world do you claim that a revolver is more unsafe than a semi?

Oldshooter · « **Reply #42 on:** February 17, 2009, 04:14:04 PM »

Shooting instructors including the one that advertises on this site say the glock is the right handgun due to the fact that there is nothing to remember to do but point and squeeze.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #43 on:** February 17, 2009, 04:15:44 PM »

if you shoot single action you will be MUCH more accurate
then when you train you will shoot single action

then when something goes bump in the night you will react as you trained
hammer cocked....hand shakey....its only matt sneaking home drunk
now she has a cocked gun...and a shakey hand to lower the hammer...or she drips in the dark or is startled

a double action only will force her the train that way ONLY
that is how a revolver is more danderous....cocking the hammer......especially on my fine 629

Quote from: Casull on February 17, 2009, 04:05:04 PM

Quote
forget the double action /single action revolvers....they are unsafe and will interfere with you practice

Huh!!!!!!!!! How in the world do you claim that a revolver is more unsafe than a semi?

squirrellluck · « **Reply #44 on:** February 17, 2009, 04:28:58 PM »

Heather, If you want to learn to shoot you should. Talk to Matt some more and maybe ask GB to also. I taught my wife to shoot and she loves it. Taught her gun safety first. Took her to the pit, handed her my 22 revolver and let her load and shoot until she was ready to ask for help and suggestions. No fighting, yelling or hurt feelings. May not be the proper way but hey, 22 ammo was cheap and she was having fun! Now she shoots and hunts with me so all we fight over is who gets which stand! Life is good. Good luck, Scott

Casull · « **Reply #45 on:** February 17, 2009, 04:36:48 PM »

Randy and 45-70, shooting a double action revolver should be, and is, as safe as shooting a double action auto (point and squeeze). Plus any decent revolver will have a better double action pull. 45-70, if the instructor is having her shoot single action for accuracy, he's not doing his job of teaching her to shoot defensively.

-Shaggy- · « **Reply #46 on:** February 17, 2009, 04:41:13 PM »

Quote from: 45-70.gov on February 17, 2009, 04:15:44 PM

then when something goes bump in the night you will react as you trained
hammer cocked....hand shakey....its only matt sneaking home drunk
now she has a cocked gun...and a shakey hand to lower the hammer...or she drips in the dark or is startled

I read that three times and haven't laughed that hard in a month. Do you even realize what you said?

Oldshooter · « **Reply #47 on:** February 17, 2009, 04:45:02 PM »

No argument here about the double action. I was just saying what the instructors I have talked to have said. I have both and my go to gun is the glock in .45 acp

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #48 on:** February 17, 2009, 05:04:27 PM »

I'm going to chime in and agree with Casull on the double action revolver and go one step further. I think a DA revolver is safer than an auto. One it does not need a stable platform to function. You can use powder puff loads in it to get started. And move up the scale.
With an auto that slide is going to come back in a big F'n hurry and if anything is above the line of the slide, even with a 22 it is going to be ripped or torn. Also you need a stable platform for an auto to work. If the slide comes back 2" lets say in a standard cycle. Now if a new shooter does not have a control (Heather not you, I'm sure you have the upper body to control the gun, Please do not take this wrong) the auto and allows it to recoil 1" well the gun will short cycle. I will throw out the old case but not go back far enough to pick up the next round or may stove pipe the round. OK ready I'll do the math if your lost. the slide with the energy will go back 2" if you allow it to push your hands back 1" and the slide will move on the frame 1" for a total of 2"
There is not that whole front sight rack and tap and press check stuff to make sure a gun is loaded with a revolver. Open the cylinder are they full? are all the little circles in the center of the back of the bullets not dented? Good, close the gun it's loaded.
The only down side i can see to a single action pistol is you are going to spend more time reloading a Colt style SAA than shooting.
If I were to teach Heather we would start with a 4" K or N frame 38 with light loads, move to a 22 Auto (no recoil and we could work on grip sight picture and trigger control with lots of rounds), and up to my sig P229 in 9mm ( the little gun fits most small hands and is heavy as a 9mm with the stainless slide, with the small grip it fills the hand and the slide rides low in your grip and again reduces recoil, standard 115 fmj bullets do not recoil much and are cheapish. the more comfortable she is the more she will want to shoot) and then on to her auto if she has and auto to shoot. If she or in a lot of cases he did not own a gun and wanted to try a bunch out to see what is comfortable and fits their wants/ needs/ means, then I would bring them out for her to try and see what works best for her. I would also go over a shotgun with her as home defence and would suggest it as a home defence gun with 7.5 bird shot in either 1 or 1 1/8 oz loads in 12ga.

Matt · « **Reply #49 on:** February 17, 2009, 06:51:27 PM »

Well it's on the second page so I guess I will chime in now... First of all let me thank all those who came to my aid on this topic and to heck with all you that threw me to the dogs

I have told Heather that I have no problem teaching her to shoot and have even cleared it with dad for use of the range and "His Guns and Ammo"

... so where the problem lies is that though I am at GB's quite often I am most often by myself and when Heather did want to go it was way to cold for me to stand outside and teach anybody anything...

Though I have hoped that she would remember how rough it was when I started teaching her to design web sites and have a revelation that maybe I am not the best person for the job... although contrary to what GB said I can shoot and when it counts I hit my mark. If he would just reflect on the past himself he might even remember that I had all my "10 pins" for chicken, pigs, turkeys and rams and in only 3 shoots I think it was and not to mention quite and few 1st and 2ND place finishes in small bore competition as a teenager.

I think that a person with a good understanding of things should be able to figure out how to shoot... its how to do it right or safe that matters... So now it is really more of a scheduling issue than anything else... do I have any volunteers to do my job for a day or three so I can teach her....

Matt

williamlayton · « **Reply #50 on:** February 17, 2009, 09:02:20 PM »

Well, lets see here.
Heather wants to learn too shoot.
She needs someone to do this.
You have two ol boys that are basically capable.
You have a secure place for this to happen.
You have the weapons and ammo.
Neither wants to do it.
Heather do you bathe on a regular basis

Brush your teeth

Lordy boys, from where I stand I think both you boys need to rethink.
She is pretty as the sunshine, witty, obviously co-ordinated, has a desire and besides that who could resist that smile.
I have come too conclusion and I am makeing my decision public. You two boys is just a hair shy of good sense.

Blessings

no guns here · « **Reply #51 on:** February 18, 2009, 01:25:23 AM »

I gotta chime in here too... My wife didn't shoot when we met. I helped her along but the best help she got was from other folks at the range we went to. My daughter couldn't hit the broadside of the barn from the inside but once she got some instruction from her JROTC coach, I know she can shoot a rifle now. I guess what I'm saying is, Heather take a class. Get the basics from someone else. It'll make life easier at home (especially for Matt). After you get the basics, spend time at the range W/O Matt until you can hit well on your own. THEN, you and Matt should be able to shoot together. I don't like teaching my own wife/kids to shoot. It's WAY too stressful on them and me. Once they can do some on their own, then it gets much better and we have fun.

ngh

bilmac · « **Reply #52 on:** February 18, 2009, 02:29:33 AM »

I guess there are some who can teach and some who can't. My son has tried to teach his kids a couple times in my presence and after a few shots everybody was frustrated and they quit.

Finally last time they was here, I snuck the granddaughter out to the garage handed her a Daisy put a BIG target in front and told her. have fun. I even suspended safety rules for the time being, because it seems like that is often what makes the learners and teachers so frustrated. At first she could hardly cock the gun, so she asked me how and pretty soon it was natural for her. Then she thought hitting the target might be more fun than just cocking the gun and pulling the trigger. The target was so easy that I could just move her elbow around a bit and the target went ping and danced around when she pulled the trigger Wow. Then she thought she needed to be able to hit the target without me holding on and after that the target got smaller.

She learned because she was having fun. Then we started learning about safety, maybe backwards that way, but I think we will have a shooter as she grows up, not just someone who has shot a gun.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #53 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:11:50 AM »

Quote

you and matt should take a professional class together

Ditto! especially with self defense in mind. The well being of your spouse & children are going to give you the courage to squarely face your advisary and execute the good instruction that you have learned.

Singleshotsam · « **Reply #54 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:46:29 AM »

First of all, I have checked into the defence classes where I live. Quite expensive, very expensive for me and the wife together. Having the capability of shooting and hitting your target is the first step to defense. Knowing you can pull the trigger when the time comes is the other part of it. Everything else is instinct (taking cover, boldness, ect.)

The best way to train for such an event is to hunt. I personally know that since I can pull the trigger and kill an animal that has not tried to harm me, that should a creep ever try to harm myself or my family, I will have no problem pulling the trigger. Hunting also teaches you patience and stealth, both of which will come in handy when the time arrives.

Kinda like the show Into the West;

Jebadiah Smith - "Ladd? Have you ever had to kill a man in cold blood?"
Jacob Wheeler - "No offense Mr. Smith, But have you ever had to kill an innocent bunny rabbit, that aint never done nothin to harm you?"

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #55 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:54:45 AM »

just that simple ?
yea right !

gstewart44 · « **Reply #56 on:** February 18, 2009, 03:56:11 AM »

I taught my daughter and son to shoot at an early age with 22 single shot rifles. I consider myself a pretty good hunter but never saw anything as cool and accurate as my 8 yr old daughter on the target range.......that is until my wife decided she wanted to give it a try. She started with the 22 and hit every target with ease. I next let her try my 17HMR bolt at 100 yds. 5 shots inside a dime.....

So I guess I didn't have to teach her. She is a natural. Just as well - my daughter listens to me, my wife thinks its her obligation not to.

Singleshotsam · « **Reply #57 on:** February 18, 2009, 04:09:31 AM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on February 18, 2009, 03:54:45 AM

just that simple ?
yea right !

Why isn't it?

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #58 on:** February 18, 2009, 04:28:59 AM »

Quote from: Singleshotsam on February 18, 2009, 04:09:31 AM

Quote from: SHOOTALL on February 18, 2009, 03:54:45 AM
just that simple ?
yea right !

Why isn't it?

A lot of the gun fights shown on tv (like when both the clerk & perp are armed during a robbery attempt) look like a crazy dance as they duck away from each other sideways and are shooting the guns like one who would execute a hook shot in a basketball game. If you are protecting loved ones it becomes different...you can & will charge hell with a bucket of water under these conditions.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #59 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:16:36 AM »

fight or flight ? that coupled with fear may have an effect . A plan is always better than winging it . If the first time you encounter an attacker is the first time you fire a gun at best you are leaning heavy on luck . Would it not be better to be well praticed in aiming , trigger control , disengaging safeties , making sure none of you is in the way ? A lot to learn on the spur of the moment sort of speak.
even with police officers and solders having training they freeze up sometimes . Often people hesitate when shooting or stabbing humanoid targets for the first time . Classes and training allow the mind to reflect on these behaviors and process them so when the occur for real it is not completely new ground . The expense of classes is dependent on your perceived need , where i live they are a bargin ( i live in an area where 200 murders was the norm for many years ) . I have faced situations where i had to draw a weapon , i was very scared at the time and believe the training i had received allowed me to function in a responsible manner and not as someone learning as they went . To be honest i don't even remember drawing the weapon my concentration was on the bad guy coming thru. my front door . In class we had gone over threats such as this for me it paid off as my wife and i had gone over how we would act , she had 911 on the phone as it was happening and as the guys were retreating the police arrested them . How do i know the training helped ? cause the same thing happened 12 years before to us and no one called 911 , i went at the guy like i was attacking the fire of hell with a bucket of water and was lucky to not get shot .
One class i took , the teacher had his throat slit by an attacker . He spent alot of time on defending against a knife . On 2 occasions i have been faced by an attacker with a knife and managed to get the knife and not get cut i couldn't put a value on his lesson but the cost of the class seems cheap now . I figure i can learn everything first hand and maybe die getting educated or from those who have learned the hard way . the second way seems a bargin .

Poll

Do you think Matt should teach me to shoot?

Author Topic: Never Shot a Gun! (Read 4361 times)